something
by laurav1997
Summary: What if Rapunzel had founded a girl in problems and let her live with her for over a year without Gothel knowing? And what if that same girl is the heir to the hold Gothel was once a baroness of? Read my story and please leave a review
1. the flower and the heir

"Alright but if you lose, you brush my hair." The girl looked at her friend, who sat on the simple sofa right in front of her.

"But your hair is about 33 feet long, it'll cost me two days if not three!"

"That's the bet." The girl grinned.

"All right but if your mother comes in I'm out, do you understand?"

A sparkle could be seen in her eyes.

"You are a weird girl, Rapunzel. But maybe that's what I like about you."

The girls laughed and started their bet. As fast as they could the run up the stairs of the tower to Rapunzel's bedroom.

"Ready Ruby?"

"As can be!" Ruby nearly shouted.

They counted from three to one and both jumped to the ceiling.

Ruby grabbed a couple of wooden beams and climbed on top of them. Rapunzel used her hair as a whip to reach the same beams. Ruby had a rope around her shoulder she grabbed it and putted it around one of the beams she was standing on.

Rapunzel was already down on the floor, she has used her hair as a bungee-cable.

She was dancing on the wooden floor, while Ruby came down.

"You cheated!" Shouted Ruby.

"Did not!" Rapunzel responded.

"Did too!"

"Stop that's just stupid. I'm turning eighteen this week, so I am going to be an adult and adults don't play silly games like that. You've lost, so you've got to brush my hair."

Ruby sighed irritated, she hates it when Rapunzel turns in the 'all grown up woman' she thinks she is.

Ruby heard a voice sing-shouting something at the tower.

"Rapunzel! Let down your hair!"

Rapunzel ran to the window and looked down.

"Quick Ruby, hide!" She hissed. "Don't forget your cloak."

As quick as a fifteen year old girl could be, grabbed Ruby her red cloak from the sofa and climbed via the beams up to the highest top of the tower, were Gothel never came. Here she had build herself a little room, not much more than a bed and some clothes. But for her other needs she shared with Rapunzel.

Underneath her she heard the voices of Gothel and Rapunzel in a deep conversation about food and floating lights. Ruby could hear on Gothel's voice that she was not in the mood to be talked to. Maybe it's still not the right moment, Ruby thought. We should tell her some other day that I live her too. Underneath her Ruby heard Gothel screaming against Rapunzel. And she crossed the line, again. It's the fifth time this week, that Rapunzel made Gothel lose her self-control. Ruby was getting used to the shouting and the screaming, so she decided to go to sleep. She changed into her pajamas and lied down on her bed.

"Night, night..." She whispered.

"How many times do I have to make myself clear?!" Gothel jelled.

Rapunzel took a nervous step back from her mother. Maybe she pushed the limit a little to far today.

"I'm sorry, mother. But I.." Gothel putted her hand on Rapunzel's mouth.

"I don't want to hear another excuse or word from you, do you understand?"

Rapunzel nodded nervously. Gothel took her hand of Rapunzel's mouth.

"And now, go to bed."

Rapunzel bended her head and walked slowly up to her bedroom, her hair right behind her. She stepped into her bed and lay down.

"Don't let the bugs bite." She whispered to her friend in the top of the tower.

Rapunzel woke up of a scream and ran to the living room. She panicked right away. Doom scenario's flew in and out her head. What if Gothel had found...

"Ruby!" she jelled.

Gothel turned around to face Rapunzel.

"You know her?" She asked surprised.

Rapunzel started mumbling about yes and not exactly, so Gothel picked Ruby up of the ground.

"Do you know her or not?" Her voice became deep and slow it was even more dangerous than her normal voice.

Rapunzel nodded, "yes, mother."

Gothel looked from Rapunzel to Ruby and back. "How long?"

"A year, I think." Rapunzel said, looking at her toes.

"And when were you going to tell me about her? Or was the idea that I would found her and throw her out of the tower?!" Gothel started yelling and Ruby tried to pull her arm out the steel grip, but it was no use. "Don't you even dare." Gothel snarled .

"Please, mother. Leave her alone, I just wanted someone to hold me company. She is good. I..I"

"You what?"

"I just know."

"Aaargh, Rapunzel. You don't know a thing of the outside world. Did you hear me? Not a thing!"

"I know, but she was nice and held me company when you were months away."

"To buy stuff for you!"

Ruby tried to free herself but it failed miserably.

"She goes away, do you hear me?" Gothel yelled, ignoring Ruby.

Rapunzel became furious.

Ruby never saw her that way before.

"You never give me something, you barely even speak to me about anything! The only reason I didn't jumped out the tower myself, was Ruby! Most of the time you are away or asleep. With her I can play, paint and have fun!"

Gothel was even more furious than her daughter. She knew she had underestimated her, when she heard that this Ruby lived here for at least a year. Rapunzel has become a clever woman, maybe a little to clever.

"Rapunzel I don't want a fight and you know that. But she is a dangerous girl in the outside world. You are giving sanctuary to a thief for over a year!"

"She isn't a thief! She never even touched my hair!"

Gothel grinned to Ruby. She had formed a plan in her head.

"How do you know that? I mean don't you sleep at night?" Gothel's voice became calm but was still low and deep.

Ruby didn't like were this was going.

Rapunzel nodded, of course she goes to sleep, what a stupid question.

"When you're asleep you don't feel a thing. Maybe this sneaky thief sneaks out at night and sings you song and makes herself look fifteen while she is actually thirty years or older."

Rapunzel looked disgusted at her mother. How could she say that about Ruby. Her furiousness came back.

"She doesn't even know the words!" In a pulse of anger Rapunzel pushed her mother away.

Gothel tripped over a lose tile and fell on the ground. Ruby pulled her arm out of Gothel's grip and hid behind Rapunzel, who stand tall between her mother and Ruby.

"Maybe we should go." Said Ruby.

Rapunzel shakes her head. "I can't leave mother!"

"Do you want to she those floating lights or not?" Ruby's voice was loud and panicking.

Gothel's eyes were full of horror because of those words.

That little brat is not going to take her flower away! She stood op, gripped again Ruby's wrist and pulled her to the window. Rapunzel threw a straw of her hair around Ruby's other wrist to prevent Gothel from throwing her outside.

"No!" She yelled. "You aren't throwing Ruby out of this tower for so long I'm living here!"

"Rapunzel, your head is full of lies from this little street rat." Gothel had problems controlling her voice.

Ruby tried to free both of her wrists from the two but both, the hand and the hair were to strong.

"Rapunzel!" Yelled Gothel. "Let go!"

"No!" Yelled Rapunzel back. "She is my friend and you are not taking her away!" Rapunzel pulled harder on her hair so Gothel needed to let go of Ruby.

"Rapunzel!" Gothel tried to catch a stroke of hair but Rapunzel pulled it all away.

"No, I'm going to see those floating lights with Ruby!'

Rapunzel grabbed Ruby by her hand and let her to the window. She threw her hair on the hook en together they slide down on her golden hair.

Gothel wanted to follow the two, but Rapunzel pulled her hair down on the grass. Gothel stood alone in the tower, thinking by herself. How could she not see this coming? How did that little brad hide from her all this time? A vague memory crossed her mind, the plateau in the cam of the tower. Gothel climbed up via the beams Ruby has used for a year and reached the top. There she saw a small bed and a pile of clothes with on top a red cloak.

That cloak did remind Gothel of something from a long time ago, when she was really young and not just looked young. A time were she was an another person a baroness of an important hold in a kingdom forgotten long ago. She grabbed the cloak from the pile and had a close look on it, some symbols she recognized from her younger years. On the back she saw three rings combined in a triangle. Gothel's eyes became wider by this discovering. This cloak was part of her wardrobe ages ago, when she was that baroness. How is it possible that this old thing is still around the family. Family? She froze. I've never given Rapunzel a cloak, but that means that that Ruby is part of my bloodline! Gothel felt dizzy and decide to sit on the bed. Her head rested in her hands.

What the hell just happened? Rapunzel took of with that little brat of a Ruby and I'm here discovering that she is heir to my hold. I've got to find both of them before my magic runs of. The last time Rapunzel healed me was five days ago. Oh no, I only have one week before the magic disappears from my body!

Gothel jumped up, threw the cloak around her shoulders and climbed down to the living room of the tower.

She pulled out the lose tile she tripped on with her fight against Rapunzel. A secret stairway became visible. Gothel ran down the stairs to a small wall of rocks, stones and smalls builders, she pushed the bigger ones away so the others felt to the floor. Gothel was out of the tower and saw a couple of meters before her straws of grass which were flattened by two pair of footsteps and a lot of hair. Gothel started to follow the tracks and started so her search for her flower and her heir.


	2. guilt

"Ruby we must go back!"

"Please Rapunzel, erase that guilt out of your head and try to enjoy the outside world." Ruby held on to Rapunzel's hand to keep her walking forward.

"You are right. I'm dreaming of this my whole life, but why do I feel that guilt?" Rapunzel looked back if she could catch a glimpse of the tower she lived in for nearly eighteen years.

"Don't look back it will just make you feel more guilty." Ruby said, while she pulled Rapunzel further into the forest.

"Maybe we shouldn't be doing this, lets go back." Rapunzel held in and pulled Ruby back.

"No we can't. Gothel will kill me for bringing you down."

Rapunzel looked confused. "But I brought us down. It was my decision."

Ruby didn't feel like discussing this right now, they had to keep moving, before Gothel got her hands on her and Rapunzel.

"Your birthday is this week. What if we just go to see the lights and than return to the tower? You know as my birthday present for you." Ruby said.

Rapunzel was back exited and clapped in her hands.

"Yeah that's a great idea!" She started running deeper in to the forest with Ruby right behind her trying to get Rapunzel's hair out of bushes and mud pools. But after five minutes Ruby gave up, it wasn't her hair anyway.

Rapunzel stood still again. "But what if I broke mom's heart?"

"Relax, she can handle it. Mothers have a hidden talent to recover fast from daughter-behavior, at least my mom had it."

"Did you have a mom?" Rapunzel asked curious.

"I still have."

"But why haven't I met her?" Rapunzel heard things she didn't even know about Ruby.

"Because I ran away."

Rapunzel was confused. Why would anyone run away from their mother?

"Why did you ran away?" She asked, while they started walking again.

"Same reason you have now. She said no and I said yes."

"She must have a good reason to say no, mine still does."

"And what good reason does your mother have to keep you locked up in that tower for like forever?"

"My safety."

"Seriously?! Don't you get it?"

"Get what?" Rapunzel didn't understand.

"The only threat in this world is your mother."

"How dare you say that?!" Rapunzel yelled and before she knew it her hand hit Ruby's cheek, by the impact of the slap Ruby stepped aside.

"My mother protected me my whole life, how could she possibly be a threat?!"

Ruby rubbed over her painful cheek.

"I don't know." She said it more calm then she felt.

On one side she understood that Rapunzel is loyal to her mother, after all she did raise her. But on the other side she didn't get why. Sometimes it even looks like she doesn't care about her at all. Why would that creepy but intelligent lady raise someone so kind but naive as Rapunzel?

Ruby looked at Rapunzel, who looked frightened at her hands.

"It's okay." Ruby said. "I shouldn't have said that."

Rapunzel shook her head. "It's not okay. I shouldn't have slapped you. How did I do that?"

"You were angry and couldn't get a hand on yourself." Ruby explained. "But it's alright, everyone has that so now and then. It doesn't even hurt anymore." She tried to sound happy, but every move with her jaw felt like someone was pressing the sensitive spot Rapunzel did hit.

"No you're not okay! Look your jaw is turning purple!" Rapunzel pointed at Ruby's chin.

"I said that it's okay. Come we have to move, I think I'm hearing footsteps."

Ruby pulled Rapunzel on her arm to the direction of the city. Rapunzel followed in silence, wondering about every new thing she saw.

* * *

"Alright what do we have here?"

Gothel had followed the footsteps and now saw that the footsteps where splitting. Possible because of an agreement between Rapunzel and Ruby. A little while back she had seen the same pattern. One pair footsteps walked a little back and forward and then followed the other pair. Gothel grinned, Rapunzel is still loyal to her and want to go back.

'Maybe if I give her a little push in the right direction, I can get my flower back.'

Some plans flew trough her head, but none was good enough.

She needed to get rid of Ruby and bring Rapunzel back to the tower.

Gothel started walking again, following Rapunzel's footsteps. Then she saw a hurt of wolves and her idea was born.


	3. wolves & magic

"Ruby, my feet hurt." Rapunzel nagged.

"I know you've already told me. Next time you run away, put on some shoes and decent clothes."

Rapunzel looked at her purple dress.

"What's wrong with my dress?"

Ruby felt another discussion coming and started walking faster.

"Ruby, not so fast." Rapunzel was trying to put her hair around her feet to heal them, but Ruby didn't slow down. In her hurry, in which she was trying to keep up with Ruby and was busy with healing her feet, she stumbled over her hair and felt with a little 'whoa' on the ground.

Ruby held still.

"Hush!" She hissed.

"What? What is it?" Rapunzel stood up and started looking in the same direction as her friend, trying to see what she saw.

"Hush!" Ruby hissed again.

She listened to the sounds of the forest. Her eyes filled themselves with horror when those sounds confirmed which she thought she had heard.

"Rapunzel, don't make a sound." She whispered, while her eyes didn't leave the pack of wolves, who where running trough the woods.

Rapunzel nodded and took a step back.

"If we go back silently, they hopefully won't notice us." Ruby whispered again.

Carful and without losing the wolves out of sight, Ruby and Rapunzel slowly walked back. But then they heard a loud, strange noise. The wolves had heard it to and changed their direction, straight to the girls.

Ruby and Rapunzel started to run for their lives, while the wolves where right behind them.

"We have to climb in a tree!" Rapunzel yelled.

Ruby nodded, she couldn't find the breath to talk.

As soon Rapunzel saw the right tree she gripped Ruby's hand and threw a thick straw of hair on the highest branch she could reach. But before she could pull herself and Ruby up one of the wolfs jumped on the back of Ruby, while another jumped on Rapunzel's. Both girls fell with their faces in the grass. Strangely enough the wolves didn't hurt them, they just held them to the ground. Both the girls didn't realize this and where struggling for their life. Ruby achieved to turn herself so she was facing the wolf on top of her. Her eyes wide in fear, when she looked in the eyes of the wolf. The pupil was gone; there was only a red symbol of three circles connected in a triangle visible.

"Rapunzel stop struggling, they won't hurt us." Ruby said so calm as she could.

"If they don't why do they chase us?!" Rapunzel said while going further with her fight for freedom.

"They are cursed with a controlling spell." Ruby explained. "Someone ordered them to catch us. But if you stop struggling, I can take over the control."

Rapunzel stopped fighting and looked surprised to Ruby, who had started mumbling unknown words to the wolf.

'So there is more magic then only my hair?' Rapunzel thought. She was confused.

In the meanwhile had Ruby achieved to change the spell cursed on the wolf. Now the symbol in its eyes was white instead of red.

"Get of." She ordered with a strict voice and the wolf did what it was told without hesitating. "Go!" She said again. The wolf ran away, followed by the rest of its pack, including the wolf on Rapunzel. Rapunzel stood up and looked with new interest at her friend.

"So. Magic, hu. Kind of cool." She said sounding less curious then she was.

"I don't want to talk about it!" Ruby said, while she started walking again.

"Wait Ruby! I think you own me an explanation." Rapunzel said while refusing to set another foot without an explanation.

"I own you nothing, it just a curse in my family and I don't want it." She didn't stop to wait for Rapunzel, so Rapunzel had to give in and go after her.

"But using magic isn't bad, right? It must by wonderful to do such stuff."

"It isn't wonderful, it's terrible and I will never use it again. Do you understand?" Ruby was getting angry so Rapunzel stopped her questions.

"Alright."

"It is not true!" Gothel yelled in anger. She had seen how the wolfs ran of instead of killing Ruby the wolf did nothing. When Gothel decide she should kill the girl, she felt her spell become weak and the wolves started to run away. 'She couldn't do that! How can a girl who's merely fifteen years old control a whole pack of wolves, while it took me a century?!' Her anger rouse again and she kicked against a tree. "Ouch!" It did more pain than it should do. 'How's that possible? I have five days! Maybe did my powers affect the power of the bloom. I should by more careful.' She shook her thoughts out of her head and walked to the place where the wolves ran away. For the second time she had to track the pair of footsteps and again did the told her the same thing. They where walking to the palace city. 'After all these things she wants to she the lights. How pathetic.' Gothel grinned. 'Rapunzel is so predictable. What if those floating lights turn in something horrible instead of wonderful?' A new plan was taking form in her head, while she was walking after the pair of footsteps.


End file.
